Train Sim World: Great Western Express, arriving August 24th on Steam for Windows PC, now available to pre-order!

The Great Western Main Line, one of Britain’s oldest and busiest railways, the birthplace of British high-speed travel, is making its way to Train Sim World!

What is known today as the Great Western Main Line was built by the famed engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, between 1835 and 1841 in a grand effort to connect London to the Southwest of England. The “Great Western Railway” was opened in stages, the first three of which connected the line from Paddington, London to Reading, Berkshire, via the Thames Valley. For the first few decades of the Great Western Railway’s life, it was built to Brunel’s ingenious yet controversial 7ft Broad Gauge track, however, despite the benefits this had over “Standard Gauge”, the entire GWR would eventually be re-laid after Brunel’s passing.

The Great Western Railway was quickly established as a major link for both businesses and residents, in and outside the capital, all thanks to Brunel’s hard work. The line became known as Brunel’s Billiard Table, as it was his goal to lay a railway that was as flat as possible, all while connecting principal towns. It was this goal that saw the cutting of 1.4 Miles of hillside between London and Reading, an impressive feat for the time. As years went by, the GWR expanded drastically, and this included the quadrupling of the GWML.

Ever since the Churchward days of locomotives, the GWR has always been home to unique and pioneering steam and later diesel power. But perhaps most notably in recent decades, the Great Western Main Line has been the definition of high-speed with the InterCity 125 ‘High Speed Train’, a British icon in and of itself that has sped passengers between London and the west at 125mph, with ease.

Today, the Great Western Main Line is appropriately operated by “Great Western Railway”, a rebrand of the former First Great Western, and GWR provide both inter-city and local commuter services, the former with the iconic HST, and the latter with Networker Turbo DMUs such as the BR Class 166, which were ordered by Network Southeast to replace ageing 1st generation stock. In recent years, the GWML has been undergoing major modifications, including electrification, and it is the largest engineering project on the former GWR since Brunel built it over 175 years ago.

Today, we’re opening the doors for you to pre-order, click the image below to get your ticket to be the first to play when it goes live on August 24th.